MWHS receives carts from county sports grant

The Mound Westonka High School athletic staff has been taking advantage of carts they received from a Hennepin County grant last spring.

The Hennepin County’s Youth Sports Grant was awarded to MWHS for $10,000 after the school requested the funding to purchase two carts. The district purchased two E-Z-GO carts, one that is a new four-seat express model and another used cart.

Dion Koltes, the activities director for the Westonka Public School District, said that the carts have been put to good use since the district acquired them/

"They are getting used, believe me," he said.

The athletics department primarily uses the carts. Some of the uses Koltes said the department has are to transport people, for field upkeep including dragging the baseball and softball fields, and hauling equipment.

Another instance that Koltes said the department plans to use the carts is when injured athletes need to be moved.

"There were a few instances when we needed to transport injured athletes off the field," he said. "They had to walk off with the help of a few parents."

Koltes said that, at a recent soccer tournament the district hosted, they used the carts often to transport families with members who have trouble walking and children.

The Youth Sports Grant is funded by the Twins ballpark sales tax that was approved in 2006, funds the Hennepin Youth Sports Program.

The district is allowed to apply for the grants every year, and next year Koltes said they plan on applying for three scoreboards for the district’s lower level fields. The scoreboards would be for the softball, baseball and soccer fields that are currently used by elementary and middle school students.